Blending machine



Feb.-15, 1938. F. J. MUENCH BLENDING MACHINE Filed July HD1936 2Shets-Sheet l INVENTOR w W XRTTORN;

Feb. 15, 1938. F. J. MUENCH BLENDING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet 2 gul /W g ATTORNE 1111/11111111111111111111111 nl "munPatented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in blendingapparatus and has particular reference to improvements in blenders ofmaterials such as wet or dry pigments, and to apparatus in which thecontainers of the material are being constantly turned over and thecontainer material tumbled.

An object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient meanswhereby the tumbled material is in small quantities being continuouslysubjected to a further grinding and abrading process so thatthe'blending is more effective and the degree of perfection in blendingis increased.

Further and more specific objects, features,

' and advantages have to do with an apparatus in which the improvementsare incorporated at minimum expense and with minimum variation in theconstruction and operation of the device previously employed and whilemaintaining a simple strong durable construction.

Further and more specific objects. features, and advantages will moreclearly appear from a consideration of the specification hereinafterespecially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whichform part of the specification and which illustrate a present preferredform which the invention may assume.

The invention generally considered has to do with a turnable orrotatable casing or drum in which the various ingredients to be blendedare placed and which may assume the form of a double cone shape turnablein a vertical plane with a line drawn through the vase of the cone as ahorizontal axis of rotation. Within the casing or drum are disposedclosely adjacent plates or disks having grinding and abrading surfacesfacing each other at distances which may be regulated by any suitablemeans. These plates or disks are rotated relatively at different speeds.by desired means and one of them is provided on one side with suitablebucket means or ears which pick up some of the material within the drumas the buckets and the drum are turned and pass the material throughsuitable openings or passages to the narrow space between the grindingdisks wherein the material is then further rubbed and ground together.

The material is thus treated in relatively small quantities to a finerdivision and abrasion while being in the larger mass turned and tumbledover in the main drum or casing.

It has been found that a much higher degree of perfection in blending isthus achieved and that spreading the blended powder even ever sosmoothly and thin with a flat blade on a smooth surfaceunderconsiderable pressure will not disclose any separate color specks.

The preferred present form which the invention may assume is shown inthe accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of theapparatus with a portion of the rotatable drum broken away;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of one of the grinding disks;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the opposite side of said disk;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said disk;

Fig. 5 is a cross section through said disk on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the other disk;

Fig. '7 is an end elevation of the opposite side of said other disk;and,

Fig. 8 is a cross section through this other disk taken on the line 8 -8of Fig. 6.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is applied to an apparatus forblending materials which comprises a double cone drum or casing such asIll. The general construction and operation of this apparatus is setforth in Patent No. 2,018,082, Oct. 22, 1935.

As the drum is rotated to the position shown in the drawings, thematerial to be blended may be dropped from hopper ll into the neck l2 ofthe drum in which a valve is then open. This valve is operated by meansof shaft I3, gear I4, chain l5, gear 16 and handle I! from the floor ofthe plant, altho it can also be operated by hand wheel l8 direct ifdesired. Thus the valve to discharge and introduce material may beoperated from the floor whether the drum is in one position or another.

After the charge of material is in the drum it is then rotated atsuitable speeds by means of a motor 28 mounted on the frame and drivingshaft 29 to the other end of which a gear 25 is connected. A chain 24connects gear 25 to gear 23 connected to a gear or reducing box 22connected to gear 2! connected by chain 20 to gear IS on a hollowsleeve-like shaft 26 and to the drum itself. The inner end of the sleeve26 supports one of the grinding disks'2'l. The speed of this disk is thesame as the speed of the drum.

The motor 28 is driven at high speed and its shaft 29 supports anothergrinding disk 30 closely adjacent the disk 21 above mentioned. The disk30 is shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive and has thereon a seriesof outwardly flaring buckets or ears such as II which open by means ofpassages 32 into the inner face or the disk 30 which is closely adjacentthe adjacent face of the disk 21. The grinding or rubbing surface of thedisk 30 is constituted by the outer ring-like portion numbered 30, byarms 33 and by edges grooves 300. These disks maybe made of any suitablematerial such as steel suilicient to give the proper rubbing andgrinding action. The arms 33 also help to throw the material outwardlytoward the narrow grinding surfaces of the disks. As the disk 30 isrotated while the drum and the disk 21 are slowly rotated it will beseen that small quantities of the contained material will be caught inthe buckets 3i and will then be passed to the interior grinding spacebetween the two disks at which time it will be thrown outwardly from thecenter by the arms 33. As it reaches the periphery of the disks it willbe caught between the two grinding surfaces and be subjected to anadditional grinding and rubbing which will insure the further finedivision and blending of the various pigments constituting the blend.

The other grinding disk is shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive andcomprises an outer grinding ring 21 connected to a hub 34 on sleeve 26by means of a flexible disk 35 of suitable Inaterial such as thinflexible steel. The grinding disk ring 21 on its inner face is providedwith a series of grooves such as 36 which are suitably tapered and whichfacilitate the grinding and permit the ground and rubbed material to besprayed out in a peripheral stream after it has been ground or rubbed.

The two grinding disks are thus closely spaced together and the one isprovided with flexible means whereby an even pressure is substantiallymaintained on the material being ground therebetween. The material istaken in at the center by means of the buckets and after being ground isspewed out at high speed toward the walls of the drum. This action isrepeated continuously as the drum turns over and over and thus thetumbling action of the drumis accompanied in a short space or time withthe additional rubbing and grinding of the entire batch giving theadditional fineness to the blend above mentioned.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to apresent preferred form which the invention may assume, it is not to belimited to such details and forms since many changes and modificationsmay be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopeoi! the invention in its broadest aspects.

Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of theinvention which may come within the language or scope of the appendedclaim.

What I claim is:--

A rotatable blender casing, a drive motor, a grinding disk within thecasing and connected to the motor to be driven at motor speed,connections between the motor and the casing to drive the casing atreduced speed, a second grinding disk within the casing adjacent thefirst disk and connected to and moving at the same speed as the casing,one of said disks having flared buckets thereon to catch material andthrow it between the disks to be ground.

FRANK J. MUENCH.

